A serious transfer dispute has erupted as Emmanuel City Football Academy (ECFA) accuses Spanish club Granada CF of illegally signing two Ghanaian players, Armstrong Rubin Junior and Oscar Naasei Oppong, in direct violation of FIFA regulations.
According to ECFA’s formal complaint submitted to the FIFA Football Tribunal, both players are still under valid professional contracts with the academy and were officially registered with the Ghana Football Association. Despite this, Granada allegedly took the players without initiating any transfer discussions or securing proper clearance.
“These players are still contractually bound to us. No transfer agreement was signed, and we were never contacted. This is a blatant breach of FIFA’s rules on international transfers,” said an ECFA representative.
Granada CF has claimed to possess waiver letters releasing the players, a claim ECFA strongly denies.
“We never signed or authorized any waivers. If such documents appear in the system, it means something went seriously wrong, and it must be investigated,” ECFA management added.
The academy is now calling on FIFA to take swift action, warning that this case reflects a broader issue where African clubs are routinely overlooked in international dealings.
“We are not just training centers, we are stakeholders. This isn’t only about our rights, it’s about protecting the integrity of the sport at the grassroots level,” ECFA emphasized.
As the case proceeds before FIFA, all eyes will be on whether international football’s governing body will uphold the rights of African academies and ensure that global transfer regulations are enforced, equally and fairly.